Reservations
by Gig in the Sky
Summary: LL. Luke and Lorelai learn to live with each other. Chapter 16 up.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **( Insert standard legal disclaimer here.)

**Rating: R**, to be on the safe side for later chapters.

**Notes:** I'll beg shamelessly for reviews. Good or bad, they all help. Thanks for M, for being the best beta a girl could have.

* * *

_I've got reservations_

_About so many things_

_But not about you_

_**- "Reservations", Wilco**_

Of the seven days that comprise one week, they'd managed to come up with a system in which only one was spent apart. That was normally Fridays, when Lorelai would go to dinner in Hartford and Luke would go to bed early to prepare for the Saturday morning crowd and the early delivery that went along with that.

That was then.

After they'd broken up and had come to terms with how much they needed one another in their lives, they'd approached each other with caution at first, fumbling around in the dark, not sure if they were pushing for too much, too soon.

For Lorelai, at least, the writing was on the wall. She wanted the middle, and she saw no reason why they shouldn't have it. She felt as though they'd turned a corner after their "make up" date, and after Luke had left for work in the morning, she'd pulled the quilt around herself as she sat up in bed and reached for the phone.

"Do you know what time it is?" Rory had grumbled into the phone after picking up on the fourth ring.

"The fuzzy blue clock says seven."

"Yes. A.M."

"Fine! There's no need to snap at me," Lorelai told her daughter indignantly.

"Can you call me at a more reasonable time, please?" Rory requested.

"I just wanted your opinion on something," Lorelai said in a small voice.

"Incapable of opinions," Rory mumbled. "Please leave a message after the snore."

"I'll call you back," Lorelai sighed. She hung up and contemplated making a second call, but decided against it, and instead snuggled down into the warmth left on his side of the bed.

Luke.

Lorelai smiled to herself and closed her eyes, recalling the previous night's activities. She'd all but told him how much she'd missed him at the start of the date, and by the end, it felt as though they were moving past all the heartache of the previous weeks. They'd talked about Rory and how Lorelai was afraid for her daughter; afraid that she was getting in over her head. Luke had listened as he always did, but she felt like she was talking to somebody who wasn't just a good friend, but a partner. It made her feel safe; it made her fears acknowledged and she'd wrapped that feeling around her just like the quilt was wrapped around her now.

Lorelai drifted back to sleep, thinking of Luke and how she wanted to hold on to that feeling, and hoped that she could return it to the man she now knew she loved.

* * *

When her cell phone rang a little later that morning, she was sure it was Rory, calling to offer the opinion Lorelai had asked for earlier. 

"Hello?"

Instead of Rory, she was greeted by the sound of her mother's voice, at an unusually angry pitch, even by her standards.

Lorelai's eyes immediately went wide and she ran towards the diner, almost colliding with the troubadour in her haste to get there in time to stop Armageddon from occurring.

She apologized to Luke breathlessly and he quietly accepting it, standing back to the let Gilmore women duke it out. When she demanded an explanation for her mother's presence in Luke's diner, Emily made a few comments that made Lorelai's blood boil, intimating that without her, they wouldn't have repaired their relationship.

Shaking with rage, Lorelai told her mother that if she wanted her input, she would ask for it. And then before she knew it, words that had been building in her since she was a child erupted.

"Shut up!"

The force of her words threw both of them for a loop and she watched in amazement as the normally unflappable Emily Gilmore blanched and then turned and walked out of the diner. Luke waited a beat while Lorelai collapsed on to the nearest stool and then he made a crack about appreciating speed dial before he took pity on her and gently squeezed her hand.

Breathing heavily, Lorelai waited until he came around the counter before she looked up at him.

He pulled up a stool beside hers and took her hands in his, waiting until her breathing had settled back into it's normal rhythm before speaking.

"I'm sorry," he apologized softly.

She watched him in wonder.

"What part of this is your fault?" she asked in a bewildered voice.

Luke shrugged. "I could have just asked her to leave."

Lorelai snorted. "Right. Actually, that might have knocked her on her ass. I don't think anyone has ever told Emily Gilmore to leave before."

"I bet nobody has told her to shut up, either."

Lorelai groaned and buried her face in her hands.

"She'll forgive you," he said quietly.

She looked up. "I don't really care if she does."

Luke didn't comment and Lorelai shook her head before continuing.

"It's the end of the line for us, Luke. I can't keep doing this. It was bad enough when she was constantly belittling and criticizing me, but you don't deserve any of this. They have nothing to hold against you."

"Other than whom I was born to." Luke's mouth was drawn into a tight line and Lorelai reached for his hand and squeezed it.

"I'd rather have been born to your family than mine," she said quietly.

"That would make this illegal," Luke cracked.

Lorelai shook her head. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah," he assured her. "I do." He didn't say anything further; he just gathered her against him and kissed her forehead.

"Are you okay?"

She drew back and graced him with a brilliant smile.

"Sure."

He raised an eyebrow doubtfully.

"I'm fine," she assured him and squeezed his hand. "I should get to work."

"Do you want anything before you go? Coffee?"

"You made me an offer I can't refuse."

* * *

By the time that Lorelai made it to the Dragonfly, her own words were echoing in her ears. 

"Shut up!"

Sighing, she picked up the mail from the front desk and carried it into her office, flipping open her cell phone only when she was safely inside.

She listened while Rory told her about her date with Robert, and how that had resulted in some forward movement where Logan was concerned. She tried to sound excited for her daughter, but there was a knot of apprehension in her stomach, as she recalled her own mistakes with relationships.

Past mistakes, she reminded herself. Slowly, but surely, she was learning.

"So, you haven't heard from Grandma?" she asked Rory as casually as possible.

"No," Rory said. "Why?"

"No reason," Lorelai sighed. "Just wondering."

"Did something happen?" Rory asked suspiciously.

"Oh, it's nothing."

"Mom…"

"Listen, I wanted to run something by you earlier."

"Sure."

"Nothing is for sure, yet. I mean, Luke and I have only just gotten back together, but I feel like things are different for us now."

"Different how?" Rory questioned her.

"Different, like I want more."

"More," Rory repeated.

"More. Do you remember me telling you about Sookie's story and how I freaked out and told her that I want the middle."

"Ohhhh, the middle," her daughter said knowingly.

"Yeah," Lorelai said softly.

"Mom?" Rory asked. "You'd tell me if Luke proposed to you, right?"

"Of course!"

"Okay, just checking," she laughed.

"I was wondering… I wanted to run it by you, of course. It's still your home, I've always told you that."

"Mom…"

"I don't want you to feel uncomfortable with it. I know that we talked about it before, what it might be like, when I was going to marry Max. But this is it, kid; this is the real deal, and I just want you to be okay with it before I talk to Luke about it."

"Mom…"

"It wouldn't be right if I didn't talk to you first. It's been the two of us for so long and I just want you to know that you and I are still the same, Rory."

"Mom!"

Lorelai took a breath.

"Yeah?" she asked hesitantly.

"I love you and I want you to be happy. You haven't been lately, and now you are again. That's all that matters. Do you want Luke to move in?"

It had been something that Lorelai had been afraid to put into words. It had been there, in the back of her mind, soft and fuzzy at the edges, so that she knew what it was, but it wasn't something that would terrify her.

Now that Rory had brought it into focus, she was amazed that it was accompanied by a feeling that she could only describe as both peaceful and exciting.

"Yes," she admitted softly.

Rory laughed.

"Then there's one person whose opinion matters more than mine."


	2. Chapter 2

Luke made sure to save her a piece of pie, having recalled the incident of a couple days before. He smiled as he stored it safely inside the fridge in the back and the smile grew when the bell above the door sounded. He'd locked it, he was sure of that, which meant only one thing.

"I thought you were working late," he called out.

Lorelai's laughter rang through the empty diner.

"Michel thought we might like a romantic evening together?" she tried.

Luke snorted in disbelief.

"Okay, I paid him off," she admitted, moving closer to him.

"I'm glad to see that my investment is paying off," Luke said wryly. "Are you hungry?"

Lorelai gave him a look and he laughed.

"I just turned everything off down here, but if you want to go upstairs, I could whip something up."

"Dirty!" Lorelai grinned.

He shook his head.

"There's pie."

"Ooh!" Lorelai's eyes lit up. "Maybe later."

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow.

In response, Lorelai winked at him suggestively and ushered him upstairs. When they got there, he expected them to head to bed, and began unbuttoning his flannel. Lorelai appeared not to notice and instead flopped on the couch.

Luke sat next to her.

"Are you still thinking about this morning?" he asked softly.

Lorelai closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry," Luke said sincerely. He reached for her hand and she slipped it inside his. They sat like this for a long moment before she spoke.

"It needed to be said."

Luke nodded, offering no further comment than that; he knew that she needed room to breathe.

"It's never going to change," Lorelai said, but it was just a statement of fact. "So I needed her to understand that this isn't going to change either. Is it?"

Luke was taken aback by the hesitation in her voice; he'd never known her to be a woman who needed reassurances. Lorelai was nothing if not confident, even if it was a mask she wore. He recalled it slipping a few times: when she'd confessed that her dream of a family life with Chris and Rory was dead and buried, and a second time when she'd been fearful of what she'd gotten herself into with the Dragonfly Inn.

He never thought that she'd doubt their relationship; he knew that she'd never have to. Luke had known long before he'd told her that he was in love with her, and that this was it for him. It was Lorelai or nothing.

"No," he told her, squeezing her hand. "It's not."

She exhaled and it was then that he became aware that she was holding her breath.

"Lorelai?" he questioned her softly.

She avoided his gaze and instead propped her feet up on the edge of the coffee table.

"Did you say something about whipping something up?" she asked, stifling a yawn. "I'm starving."

"And exhausted," he smiled.

"For _food_," she clarified, rolling her eyes. "Let's see if you can revive me, and then we'll talk."

Luke pulled himself off the couch and headed into the kitchen.

* * *

Afterwards, with Lorelai's hair fanning across his chest, Luke felt alternately content and disturbed.

They were slowly working their way back towards each other, and while that felt great, he was also wary of moving too quickly. For Luke, that had resulted in being more aware of how she was acting around him, and whether he was doing is subconsciously or not was almost irrelevant. The fact remained that he felt more tuned in to her than he'd ever felt before.

Which was why he'd noticed that several times during the evening, she'd started to say something and then had apparently thought better of it, and had kept silent.

After the events of the previous month, he was keenly aware of the things that had been left unsaid.

Shifting slightly, Luke let Lorelai's head fall against his shoulder and waited for her while she re-established her sleeping pattern before he turned his head to study her.

She looked peaceful and Luke's heart filled with joy at that, but the feeling started to evaporate when her features adjusted and she frowned in her sleep.

She whimpered softly and Luke dropped a light kiss on the bridge of her nose.

"I'm sorry," she whispered in a voice that was barely audible and Luke's heart slowed to a near stop as he held his breath. "I want Luke," she continued and he didn't have the heart to let her continue admitting things that she wasn't ready to say when she was awake.

"Lorelai," he whispered, gently nudging her awake. "Hey…"

Slowly, she opened her eyes. It took her a moment to focus on him.

"Luke…"

"Hi," he smiled. "You were dreaming."

"Nightmare," she shuddered.

"Oh?" He didn't want to pry, but from his end of things, he wasn't sure how it could be a nightmare.

"Chris and my mother…" she began and then closed her eyes.

"They're not here," Luke assured her.

Lorelai's eyes opened again and she looked around before settling on him.

"No," she agreed, snuggling against him. "They're not. It's just us."

He kissed her forehead and then her mouth.

"Are you okay?" he asked her with concern.

Lorelai frowned. "Yeah, sure. Why?"

Luke shrugged. "I don't know. It just seems like you have something on your mind."

She brushed his concern aside. "A million things, actually. The vet is coming out tomorrow to take a look at Cletus and Desdemona, Sookie just found out that her doctor wants her on bed rest for the rest of her pregnancy, I'm still worried about Rory and this Logan guy she's seeing. She thinks that if she lets him think it's okay with her that it's casual, then he'll want it to be serious, and I'm worried that she's setting herself up for a fall. I'm swamped with reservations and the only thing that I really want to do is to spend time with you."

She looked up at him. "See? Just a lot of regular stuff on my mind."

He regarded her carefully. "Okay."

She let out a sigh. "You don't believe me."

"I didn't say that."

"But you don't."

Luke kissed her again.

"I just thought that maybe there was something that you wanted to say earlier. It just seemed like there was something you wanted to share with me."

"Hmmm. Well, yes," Lorelai grinned mischievously, sliding her cool hands along his burning skin beneath the blanket. "I can think of something I'd like to share with you right now."

Luke chuckled and didn't protest when Lorelai moved quickly and straddled him, but the nagging feeling refused to move as quickly. The look in her eyes as she leaned over him left him wondering just exactly how much she was willing to share.


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm freezing."

"Wear a sweater."

"Smart."

"I try," Rory pretended to yawn.

"No, Rory. I mean with Luke. I'm freezing with Luke."

Her daughter was silent, which Lorelai took as her cue to continue speaking.

"I couldn't tell him about what we talked about the other day. I couldn't ask him."

"To move in?" Rory clarified.

"Yeah," Lorelai said miserably. "It was right there, you know? Right on the tip of my tongue, but then it wouldn't come out of my mouth."

"Maybe you're not ready," Rory suggested.

"No!" she cried. "I know I'm ready, hon. I want to be with Luke."

"So what's the problem?" Rory asked, and she could tell that her daughter was not giving Lorelai her undivided attention.

"I don't know!" she whined. "What's wrong with me?"

"It's a big step," Rory said softly.

"Yes, but it's one that I want to take."

"You know he'll say yes, don't you?" Rory asked.

Lorelai was silent.

"Mom? You know that Luke adores you, right? He does!"

"I know."

"But you're afraid he'll say no?" Rory concluded. When Lorelai didn't deny it, she continued. "Mom, that's crazy! It's Luke. He's loved you forever."

Lorelai snorted. "I wouldn't say forever. There was Nicole."

"He didn't love Nicole," Rory interrupted. "You know that as well as I do."

"Well, there was Rachel."

"And there was Dad."

Lorelai let out a ragged sigh.

"The point is," Rory said. "Both of you have had past relationships. That doesn't change what the two of you are to each other now."

"We've just been through such a difficult time," Lorelai muttered.

"Yes," Rory agreed. "But you came through it, and I think you're stronger for it. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes," Lorelai said in a small voice. "But I worry sometimes."

"You shouldn't be talking to me about this," Rory said gently. "You should be talking to Luke. Although, I bet you that he's going to tell you the same thing that I'm telling you. He'll tell you that he loves you and he wants to be with you, and you don't need to worry, because being apart was worse than dealing with Grandma or Dad, or anything else."

Lorelai took a deep breath.

"When did you get so smart?"

"Oh, well, there was this class…"

"Ha ha."

"Where are you?" Rory asked.

"The Dragonfly."

"Call Luke," Rory commanded.

"I'll see him later."

"Call him now. You'll feel better."

Lorelai laughed dryly. "Yes, Mom."

* * *

Luke was in the middle of the lunch rush when she called, so she reluctantly said goodbye and spent the rest of the afternoon feeling restless and jittery. When Michel came in for his shift, Lorelai grabbed her things and was out the door before he had a chance to start complaining. 

By the time she got to the diner, the dinner crowd was dispersing and she cornered Luke at the counter.

"Are you alone?"

Luke looked around at the couple of stragglers left.

"We're closing in ten minutes," he called. Then under his breath, he spoke only to her.

"Are you okay?"

"Sure," she shrugged, and then smiled brilliantly to convince him.

"You didn't sound okay when you called earlier."

"I just missed you."

"You just saw me this morning," Luke pointed out.

Lorelai laughed self-deprecatingly. "Yeah, I'm about to go all Glenn Close on you."

Luke frowned and Lorelai shook her head.

"Fatal Attraction?"

"Some movie?" Luke guessed.

"Yeah, she was a little obsessed."

"You're obsessed?" Luke grinned.

Lorelai smiled softly. "It was no big deal; I just wanted to talk to you."

"What's going on, Lorelai?" he pressed.

"Nothing," she said evasively.

"Time's up!" Luke called to the diner.

There was a murmur of discontent and then Luke's remaining customers gathered their things and paid their bills. When they were gone, Luke locked the door behind them and then turned to Lorelai.

"You've had something on your mind the last couple of days. Are you going to tell me what it is?"

"Is there any coffee left?"

"Lorelai…" he warned her.

She gave him an innocent look and Luke sighed.

"We agreed that we'd talk about things."

Lorelai bit her lip and looked longingly at the coffee machine.

"Alright," Luke sighed and pulled a mug off the shelf. He filled it and passed it to her and she wrapped her hands around it, drawing comfort and courage from it.

"I was thinking about something," she started off slowly.

"Okay."

"I was thinking about how difficult it was when we were apart, and how good it is now that we're together. Isn't it?"

"It is," Luke agreed softly.

"I was thinking that it might be even better if we were together more."

"More," Luke repeated.

Lorelai nodded and looked down into her cup of coffee.

"In a more… real way."

Luke looked confused and Lorelai started to panic.

"I knew I wasn't just being cautious or scared."

"Lorelai, what are you talking about?"

"It's okay; it was just an idea."

"Lorelai…"

"I just thought that it's kind of crazy, when we spend most nights together, anyway. It's great, don't get me wrong. The diner is right downstairs, and that means I can get up in the middle of the night and have all the pie I want. And the coffee! The coffee is right there, at my disposal," she babbled.

"Lorelai!"

He grabbed her hands and held them tight, before he asked her in a low voice to please look at him.

She looked up and gathered her last shred of courage.

"Maybe… would you like to move in with me?"

* * *

**A/N:** _Thanks for the feedback so far! I really appreciate it. As for the questions... yes, there is more to come, and yes, there is a reason for the R rating. Stay tuned!_  



	4. Chapter 4

He took too long to answer. He knew that by the look on her face; the way that her breath caught and she looked down at her hands.

"Lorelai…"

"No," she shook her head and laughed dryly. "That's okay. I knew it was too soon. I'm sorry. I think I must be related to Regan MacNeil."

Luke ignored the reference and took a step towards her.

"Lorelai, it's not that I haven't thought about it."

"Sure," she shrugged. "Whatever. It's fine."

He sighed heavily.

"You're upset."

"I'm fine," she lied.

"Why did you ask?" Luke asked in a low voice.

Lorelai looked up from the floor tiles she was studying.

"Never mind," she said. She gathered her things and started for the door, but Luke caught her arm and pulled her against him.

"I don't understand where this is coming from," he said against her hair. "I thought we were doing well here."

"We _are_," she told him. "This is stupid. I'm sorry."

"Stop it!" His eyes burned into hers. "We've done enough apologizing lately, and you have nothing to be sorry for. I love that you asked."

"But the answer is no," Lorelai said miserably, avoiding his eyes.

He tipped her chin up and searched her eyes.

"Lorelai, we're good now."

She blinked and pulled away from him.

"Do you remember me telling you that I want a middle with you?" she asked softly.

Luke nodded.

"When does the middle begin, Luke?"

He sighed and pulled her back against him, hugging her tightly.

"Beginnings are good, too."

"I don't want to be starting over all the time. I never want to start over again," she mumbled against his chest. "I can't do that again."

This time, Luke pulled back. He studied her carefully.

"I'm not going anywhere, Lorelai."

"You did before," she whispered and then shook her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that."

"Yes, you did," he told her. "When do you ever say anything that you don't mean?"

"It wasn't fair, though. I gave you ever reason to walk away."

"I was upset and frustrated."

"Well, take it from somebody who knows: there's a pretty good chance that I'll upset and frustrate you again."

"You're worth it," he shrugged. He pulled her by the hand over to a table where he pulled the chairs down and turned them over. He motioned for her to sit and when she did, he pulled his chair close to hers and then sat in front of her, taking her hands back and massaging them with his own.

"Lorelai, I'm not going anywhere," he told her, keeping his eyes locked on hers.

"I know," she laughed nervously.

"Do you?" he asked pointedly. "Because you've been off lately."

"Off how?" she asked lightly.

Luke shrugged. "It's like you're afraid. I don't know what to do about that, Lorelai, because I've never seen you afraid. You were worried about the Dragonfly and worried about money, or worried about Rory, or angry and hurt because of Christopher or your parents. But afraid? I've never seen you afraid. The only thing I know to do here is to tell you that I'm not going anywhere."

"But you won't move in," Lorelai said flatly.

He sighed. "Do you think we're ready? Are you asking me because you think we're ready?"

"Yes!" she cried, her eyes filling with tears. "Why else would I be asking you?"

He was quiet as he waited for her to connect the dots.

Lorelai shook her head. "No, Luke. I'm not asking to keep you with me. You either want that or you don't." She pushed her shoulders back and moved to stand.

"Don't, Lorelai," he pled. "Don't run. We're having a discussion here. We're figuring this out."

"If you don't want to move in with me, then just tell me, Luke."

"Ah, hell!" he cried. "It's not about what I _want_, Lorelai! If this was just about what I want, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"Then why are we?" she countered. "I want to be with you, and you want to be with me. Why are we complicating it?"

"Because it's complicated."

"Why?"

"Because this is it!" he cried. "I know that!"

"So do I!"

They broke off and regarded each other in silence for a moment. Then Luke grinned.

"That's all I wanted, Lorelai."

She shook her head numbly.

"You've lost me," she admitted.

"I want to move in with you," he whispered hoarsely. "I just wanted to make sure it wasn't because you were trying to make sure that we didn't have anywhere to run."

"I just want to be with you, Luke. We've had a rough time lately, yes. But I learned something about myself and about us while we were apart. I love you. You're my best friend, and I love you. We can't go back, Luke. I want to go forward."

Luke was quiet.

"Can I put some real food in that fridge of yours?" he asked her.

Lorelai bit her lip to hold back the tears and laughed when they started falling anyway.

"As long as you don't expect me to eat it," she quipped. He rolled his eyes and pulled her forward into his arms.

"Let's go home."


	5. Chapter 5

It only took one trip to get Luke's things to the house. He decided to leave most of the furniture in the apartment above the diner where he'd lived for most of his adult life. Lorelai had looked worried when he arrived with only half of his things, but he'd assured her that he didn't need it. She grinned at him and asked him if he wanted to keep the bed above the diner in case she visited in the middle of the afternoon.

"I'll need to stay there sometimes, when there's an early delivery," he told her.

"It can be our little love nest," Lorelai winked.

Luke rolled his eyes.

It was easy enough to fit his things into Lorelai's house. Aside from some trophies from high school and a few of his dad's tools, Luke hadn't accumulated a lot of unnecessary things, so he didn't need much room.

Still, Lorelai made an effort to make space for him. She spent the Saturday before he moved his things in cleaning out her closet, which of course, resulted in a mountain of clothes being piled on the bed.

"When do you possibly have an opportunity to wear this?" Luke asked her, pulling out item after item and holding them up for her inspection.

"I love this shirt!" Lorelai protested over and over again, until Luke gave up and left her to her pile while he went out to work on the boat.

When he came back, the pile had simply shifted a few feet.

"Maybe I could store some of it in Rory's closet," Lorelai mused.

"She probably has as much as you do," Luke commented dryly.

"No way, my love. I have twenty years on her."

"You've had this stuff for twenty years?" Luke asked, aghast.

Lorelai grinned and rummaged through the pile, finally locating what she was looking for. Triumphantly, she held up a uniform that slightly resembled Rory's from Chilton, but in different colours.

Luke shook his head.

"I thought you said that school was like prison."

Lorelai laughed.

"It was, but I looked really cute in the uniform."

"Get rid of it," Luke growled.

"Are you sure? It's really short…"

Luke shook his head and Lorelai sighed and added it to a much smaller pile, which apparently contained the things she wasn't keeping.

"Close your eyes," he told her.

"Why?" Lorelai asked warily.

"Just do it, please."

Hesitantly, Lorelai closed her eyes. She could hear Luke rummaging around and then a minute later, he spoke softly.

"Open them."

The large pile of clothing had vanished.

She eyed him suspiciously.

"No."

"You won't even miss any of it," he argued.

"Yes, I will!" Lorelai protested.

"What was in the pile?" He grinned good-naturedly at her.

Lorelai drew her eyebrows together and glowered at him.

"Pink sparkly shirt, black mini, red Clash t-shirt, orange sweater…" She continued to rattle off the items and then settled a smug look on Luke.

He shook his head.

"And you still wear it?"

Lorelai shrugged.

"I could."

"You know, if you got rid of all of this, you'd have a reason to get new things."

Lorelai laughed. "Oh, honey. I don't need a reason."

Luke threw his hands up and sighed resignedly.

"Take it," she sighed.

"What?"

"Everything you got rid of. Take it away."

Luke raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Sure. I'm never going to have as good a reason as this again, am I?"

Luke laughed and pulled her against him for a lingering kiss.

"Mmm," Lorelai murmured against his mouth. "You can take all those clothes, too." She made a sweeping gesture towards the bed and Luke laughed against her lips.

"You're too easy."

"Hey!"

* * *

In the end, Lorelai discarded enough clothing to make it possible for Luke to move his things in beside hers and when they were done moving his things in, they celebrated by falling into an exhausted sleep beside each other.

In the morning, Luke left before she was awake to open the diner, but he kissed her before he left and she was aware that he was beside her and smiled happily in her sleep.

When she finally rolled out of bed, she found that he had made coffee for her and had left a note beside the coffee maker. It made her smile and she was in good spirits when she took her mug out on to the porch to wake up.

"Lorelai!" Babette was calling her from across the yard and Lorelai smiled and waved back.

"Hey, Sugar!" Babette hustled over and came up the steps. "How is the love nest?"

Lorelai laughed.

"What love nest?"

"I saw Luke bringing his things in yesterday. Morey was going to come out and offer to help him, but I told him that he'd better be mindful that he hurt his back. Still, he feels bad, on account of how Luke has helped him out before."

"Oh, I'm sure that Luke doesn't mind," Lorelai assured her.

"I can't believe this day has finally arrived."

"What day?" Lorelai gave the woman a perplexed look.

"You, gettin' serious about a man!"

Lorelai chuckled.

"I was serious about Luke before I asked him to move in," she said quietly.

Babette watched her for a minute.

"I expect the two of you to be standing under that chuppah that you use in your garden," she advised Lorelai.

Lorelai laughed nervously.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Babette."

"Who's gettin' ahead of themselves, darlin'? It's as plain as the nose on your face. Some things are meant to be."

Lorelai smiled and took a swallow of coffee. Babette lingered for a few minutes more and then Morey called her from across the yard and she reluctantly said goodbye.

After she had gone, her words rang in Lorelai's head and she turned to look at the chuppah standing proudly where it always had. Luke had made it for her, a long time ago, when she had been engaged to marry another man.

She set her coffee cup down on the porch railing and made her way across the grass to the structure. When she neared it, she ran her hand over the intricate woodcarvings and was struck as always by its beauty. She thought, as she always did, how much time Luke had put into it. This time, however, she saw how much of himself he had put into it as well. It wasn't just for her, she knew now. This was _their_ chuppah, and she didn't even have to close her eyes to see them under it.


	6. Chapter 6

"Lorelai?" Luke called out her name as pulled his jacket off and hung it in the closet. He pocketed his brand new key and wandered into the living room, expecting to find her there, camped out on the couch with the Rocky Road and the latest issue of _In Style_.

Lorelai wasn't there, however, and so Luke headed into the kitchen to start dinner. He'd convinced her to let him stock the fridge and pantry, and he started a stir-fry. It was almost finished when she appeared in the doorway.

"Whatcha cookin', good lookin'?"

Luke rolled his eyes and Lorelai grinned and approached him, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind.

"Is that healthy?" she asked suspiciously.

"It's better than chips and dip," Luke sighed, nodding at the bag from Doose's that she carried.

"I'm offended!"

"What else is in there?" he asked her, lifting his eyebrow. "Something ridiculously loaded with sugar and saturated fats?"

Lorelai grinned at him.

"I didn't just go to Doose's."

"Where else is there to go?" Luke laughed.

"I went to Hartford earlier."

"What's in Hartford?" Luke asked.

"Dessert," she said mysteriously and winked.

Luke shook his head and turned back to the stir-fry. When it was done, he served them and sat across from her at the table.

"What's this?" Lorelai asked, poking at it.

"Water chestnuts. Try it. It's good."

Hesitantly, Lorelai put one in her mouth and chewed. She reached for a napkin and spit it out.

"It tastes like wood!"

"It doesn't taste like wood," Luke argued.

"Well, it _feels_ like I'm eating wood," Lorelai complained.

Luke sighed and continued eating his stir-fry as Lorelai picked around the vegetables, moving them off to the side of her plate.

"Okay, I'm done," she said a few minutes later.

Luke looked pointedly at the sad pile of vegetables on her plate.

"Please don't make me," she begged him.

"If you don't eat your vegetables, no dessert for you."

"I bought the dessert!" Lorelai protested, laughing. "Besides, you'll want it as much as I do."

"I highly doubt that," Luke commented.

Lorelai just shrugged and pushed her plate away.

"Suit yourself."

Luke watched her warily while she dug around in the bag she'd brought in and extracted several colourful tubes.

"What are those?" he asked her.

"Dessert," she smiled.

His interest piqued, Luke finished his dinner and reached for one of the tubes.

"Body paint?" he read.

"Edible," Lorelai corrected him with a grin. "Strawberry, chocolate, berry, creamsicle…"

He raised his eyes to hers.

"Really?"

In response, Lorelai reached forward and slid her hand along his jean-clad thigh. "Do you still want me to eat my vegetables?" she asked him, scooting a little closer to him. Luke's pupils dilated and he swallowed heavily.

"You really should," he protested weakly.

"You're going to have years and years to try to convince me," she laughed. "So why don't we just let this one go?"

"You're just going to come up with some way to distract me every time," Luke argued.

"Is that so bad?" she purred.

Luke couldn't think of another argument. Lorelai's eyes sparkled; she knew that she had won. She stood and pulled him up with her, gathering the collection of body paints from the table.

"Won't it get kind of messy?" Luke whispered in a daze.

"That's kind of the point," Lorelai laughed.

"The sheets…"

"We could stay here," she laughed.

"I don't think this table is sturdy enough."

"Oh, I don't know about that. Should we test it?"

Luke wasn't hearing her anymore. She laughed at this and led him by the hand through the kitchen, to the stairs. Blindly, he followed her to their bedroom and didn't argue when she began undressing him. When the last piece of clothing was removed, she slipped out of her clothes and they tumbled to the bed together. They kissed hungrily for a few minutes, teasing each other with hands and lips and the feel of their skin pressed together. Then Lorelai remembered the body paints and located the chocolate one first, squeezing a liberal amount over his warm skin. Then with her lips and tongue, she washed it clean, savouring the taste of him above even the chocolate.

She took extra time trailing after the body paints down his body, licking and nibbling and sucking until he moaned and reached for her.

"Lorelai…" he panted urgently. "I want you."

"I know," she whispered.

He shook his head.

"My turn."

"I thought this was your turn," she smiled against his thigh.

"No," he argued. He reached for the strawberry body paint and pushed against her so that he was suddenly above her. Deliberately, he held both her wrists in one hand while he dripped the body paint on her, and then created a swirling mess with his fingers that left her breathless. He nibbled and sucked and kissed and swirled his tongue against her skin until she was writhing beneath him. When he kissed her, she could taste herself mixed with the strawberry on his tongue. Their tongues battled and he sought to meet her eyes before he entered her, helping them find release.

They kept their gazes fixed on each other and when the pace slowed, Luke rolled off of her and gathered her close, not caring about the stickiness from the lingering body paints. He kissed her slowly and deliberately and when he pulled back, she took a moment to catch her breath.

"See, dessert is better than vegetables any day of the week!"

Luke rolled his eyes, but didn't argue on behalf of the vegetables.

* * *

**A/N:**_Much thanks to M for agreeing to beta this, and thus saving it from NC-17 obscurity._  



	7. Chapter 7

Luke drew a bath for Lorelai afterwards and while she soaked, he bundled the sheets and carried them downstairs to the washer. He was loading the machine when he heard a key turn in the lock and he looked up with surprise when Rory entered the house.

"Luke!" She smiled brightly at him.

"Rory!" He dropped the lid on the machine with a bang and stared at her. "I didn't know that you were coming home. I mean, here. I mean…"

Rory laughed. "It's home, Luke. Actually, Mom didn't know that I was coming home this weekend; I wasn't sure myself. I needed to pick up some things, so I thought I'd just crash here tonight. It's late and I don't really feel like driving back to school."

Luke nodded.

"Where's Mom?" Rory asked. She looked around at the kitchen, and spotted the dishes still sitting on the table.

"Oh, uh, she's upstairs."

"Okay," Rory smiled and headed for the stairs. "I'm just going to go let her know I'm home."

Luke cleared his throat. "She's taking a bath."

Rory looked surprised.

"Oh, I thought you guys had just finished dinner…" She trailed off. "_Oh_! Oh, I'm sorry, Luke!" Rory blushed a deep crimson.

Luke felt his cheeks grow warm as well and he studied the floor tiles. "It's okay," he muttered. "Uh, I'm sure she'll be down in a few minutes. I'm just going to go and uh, find some sheets. I mean…"

"Sure, sure," Rory said quickly.

Luke cleared his throat again and quickly retreated from the room. When he was upstairs, he opened the door to the bathroom without knocking and Lorelai grinned at him.

"I knew you couldn't stay away," she winked at him. "Come on in."

"No," he shook his head adamantly.

"No?" Lorelai questioned him disbelievingly. "Really?"

"Rory," Luke muttered, shifting his gaze towards the door.

"What about Rory?" Lorelai asked, sitting up in the bathtub. Luke couldn't look at her. Droplets of water clung to her breasts and her skin glistened.

"Here," Luke said, looking up at the ceiling.

"Here?" Lorelai repeated.

"Here," he confirmed.

"Now?" she clarified.

"Yes!"

Lorelai shrugged. "Okay. Well, she'll just entertain herself until we're done here."

Luke shook his head. "She'll know."

"So what? She knows that we have sex, Luke. She's not a child."

"Yeah, but right this minute?"

Lorelai laughed and the sound echoed in the bathroom. Luke glowered at her.

"She's not sitting down there picturing us in bed, Luke."

"She's your daughter!"

"Yes, but I can guarantee that she'll keep herself occupied and she won't be weird about it when we do go downstairs. She's probably listening to music or watching a movie or talking to Lane. She's a pretty self-sufficient kid."

Luke narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you done?"

"No," she said coyly. "I just told you that."

"Lorelai…"

"You're going to have to get over this," she told him. "We're living together, Luke. It'll be okay, really. She'll be here sometimes when we make love. That's just how it is."

Luke shook his head and backed out of the bathroom while Lorelai got out of the bath and dried herself off. When she emerged from the bathroom, she was wearing a fluffy robe and found him sitting on the edge of the bed.

She grinned at him.

"What?" he asked sullenly.

"You have some chocolate…" She leaned over and licked it from his shoulder. Then she smiled brilliantly at him.

"I think you'd better take a shower," she whispered. Sighing, Luke stood and headed for the bathroom, but not before Lorelai reached out and grabbed his ass, giving it a tight squeeze.

"Or you could get me dirty again," she whispered.

Luke rolled his eyes and retreated into the bathroom.

Downstairs, Lorelai found Rory sitting on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and the remote control.

"Hey, babe," she smiled at her. "Whatcha watching?"

"CNN," Rory shrugged.

"Ugh," Lorelai moaned. "Is it Wolf, at least?"

"Larry King."

Lorelai made a face and fell onto the couch beside Rory, who looked over at her with a concerned look on her face.

"Should I have called?" she asked softly, looking towards the stairs.

Lorelai shook her head.

"He'll get over it."

"Funny," Rory remarked.

"What is?"

"I thought you'd be the one who was weirded out by it. You've never lived with a man before."

"I don't know," Lorelai shrugged. "It doesn't feel weird. It feels _right_, you know?"

"It's Luke," Rory smiled.

"Yeah," Lorelai agreed softly.

"He's always been around, hasn't he? It didn't even faze me to find him loading the washer when I came in."

Lorelai smiled.

"But please don't tell me why you had to change the sheets."

"Luke will kill me."

"What are you talking about down there?" His voice came down the stairs.

"Nothing!" Lorelai called up to him innocently. They heard his footsteps on the stairs and he appeared in the room.

Lorelai smirked at him as he took a seat opposite them in the armchair.

"You got dressed."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Rory's not company, you know."

"Yeah, you don't have to get all dressed up for me," Rory grinned.

"The two of you are impossible!" Luke complained.

"Okay, Larry's not doing it for me," Rory determined. "I'm going to go see what Lane is up to. As you were." She winked at the two of them and got up from the couch.

"Ah, jeez," Luke muttered. When Rory had gone, Lorelai patted the space beside her on the couch.

"What?" Luke asked.

"Come sit with me," Lorelai whined.

"Oh, no."

"Why not?"

"Because you'll just get me all worked up again, and Rory will come home."

"She'll be gone for hours," Lorelai told him. "I know you're good, but even you can't go for hours."

"Lorelai…"

"Fine, then let's go up to bed."

He shook his head.

"I just feel weird about it."

"Well, then maybe you just need some more practice," she winked. "Seriously, you'll get used to it. It's just new, that's all."

He looked at her doubtfully.

"Practice makes perfect."

"That isn't the problem here," he growled.

"The more you do it, the more you get used to it?" she quipped. "It's like riding a bicycle, Luke."

"Lorelai…" His voice was low and full of desire.

She stood and tugged on his hand.

"Come on, you can be as loud as you want."


	8. Chapter 8

Luke was up early the next morning, and was surprised to see Rory sitting at the table.

"I thought the Gilmore girls didn't get up before noon on Saturday," he smiled, moving towards the coffee pot, which was already full. He took down Lorelai's mug from the cupboard and filled it with the hot liquid.

"Is she awake?" Rory laughed.

"I thought this would help," Luke answered.

Rory shook with laughter.

"No?" he guessed.

"No. Not before ten, at least."

Resignedly, Luke poured the coffee back and nodded at Rory.

"Are you hungry?"

She looked surprised. "Don't you have to be at the diner?"

"Cesar's opening," he told her. "I've got the day off."

"Oh. Well, then you shouldn't be making breakfast for me."

"I'll just end up making it for your mom anyway," he reasoned.

Rory laughed. "Well, in that case…"

Luke chuckled. "What'll it be?"

"There's actually real food here?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Yes."

"Blueberry pancakes?"

"Sure thing." He started pulling out the ingredients and found a mixing bowl in the cupboard.

"That isn't ours," Rory laughed.

"It is now." Luke mixed the ingredients together and then carried the bowl over to the stove. While he made the pancakes, he and Rory chatted about school and the diner and Stars Hollow.

"You know," Rory said quietly, as Luke loaded a plate with pancakes. "I really am okay with the two of you."

He turned red and she giggled.

"She doesn't tell me anything."

Luke looked unconvinced.

"Well, not that much anyway," she conceded. "She just says that you make her feel beautiful and special."

Luke was embarrassed. "She is," he said softly.

Rory smiled. "I'm happy for you."

Luke smiled back. "Thank you."

"I just don't want you to feel uncomfortable when I'm here," Rory continued. "We're all adults here."

Luke held back a smile at this. He'd known Rory since she was a child, and it was hard for him to think of her as anything but. Still, when he glanced over at her, she looked earnest and he acknowledged what she was saying.

"I don't want you to feel uncomfortable," he told her. "This is your home; it will always be your home. And I'm not your father."

"Thank God," Rory said softly.

Luke looked at her with surprise.

Rory shook her head. "Don't get me wrong. I love my dad, but he's not the man who should be with my mom. He's not strong enough for her. She'd walk all over him, and if that happened, neither of them would be very happy. Besides, Mom doesn't love him. She loves you. And as far as this always being my home, I know that. But it's your home, too."

She paused reflectively.

"I think that it's been your home for a lot longer than any of us have realized."

Luke drew in a breath and shook his head wonderingly.

"Can you make me some bacon, please?" she asked.

* * *

Lorelai was surprised to find Luke and Rory doing the dishes together when she came down the stairs.

"Hi," Rory smiled at her.

"Ugh," Lorelai muttered and made a beeline for the coffee machine. Luke intercepted her with a mug, already filled.

Lorelai swallowed some coffee and smiled at him.

"I knew this was a brilliant idea," she told him.

Luke laughed.

"How long have the two of you been up?" she asked.

"Rory was up before I was," Luke supplied.

Lorelai stared at her daughter.

"I have to get back to Yale," Rory shrugged.

"Ah. Logan?"

Rory ducked her head and studied the tabletop.

"So things are good?" Lorelai asked.

"Okay, I'm going to get going. I need to go into Lichfield and get some things for the boat." He bent over Lorelai and kissed the top of her head.

"Hey," she complained and turned her face up to meet his. He rolled his eyes and dropped a chaste kiss on her lips.

"Hey!"

Rory laughed and held a hand over her eyes.

"Okay, go," she told him.

Luke kissed Lorelai again, lingering longer this time. She moved to slip her tongue between his lips and he shook his head and pulled away. She smirked at him.

"You are an evil woman."

"Yeah, but you love me just the same."

"I do," he admitted.

Rory uncovered her eyes and grinned at Luke.

"Drive safe," he told her.

"You too."

After Luke had left, Lorelai forced Rory's gaze.

"How's Logan?"

Rory shifted in her chair. "He's good."

"You've been seeing a lot of him," she observed.

"Yeah."

"So, the two of you are done with the non-exclusive thing?"

"I don't know."

Lorelai raised an eyebrow. "How do you not know?"

"I just don't," Rory said defensively.

Lorelai held up her hands. "Okay. Sorry. So what did you and Luke talk about?"

"You, actually."

"Ooh! My favourite topic!"

Rory rolled her eyes. "I just wanted him to be comfortable here when I'm home."

"If you managed that, you're a miracle worker, my child."

She smiled. "It's okay. He's okay. I mean, he's not going to be groping you in front of me…"

"Oh! No fun!"

Rory ignored her. "I just let him know that I'm fine with the two of you. I wanted him to know that I know he makes you happy, and that's all I want. That's all."

"That's all?"

"He thought I might feel weird about it because he's not my dad."

"Oh," Lorelai said, frowning.

"No, he just doesn't want me to feel like he's taking Dad's place. I told him that I wouldn't want you and Dad together."

"That's good, because neither do I."

Rory laughed. "Exactly. I told him that you two are right for each other. Was I wrong?"

"No," Lorelai said with certainty. "You're not wrong. We're good."

"You're happy," Rory nodded.

"Yes."

"Good. He'll probably still want you to sleep as far away from him as possible when I'm at home, but I think he'll relax about it after awhile."

"Good," Lorelai laughed. "Because when you come home for the summer, I don't want to spend the entire thing without any physical contact."

"Okay, let's just end this discussion here." Rory made a face. "I have to get going anyway."

"Tell Logan I said hi."

"I will."


	9. Chapter 9

With Rory back at school, Luke and Lorelai settled in together at the house. The apartment above the diner was still in use by them on days when Lane and Cesar were both working the lunch shift and the inn was quiet enough for Lorelai to leave Michel in charge.

They were there in the middle of the Thursday lunch rush when Lorelai propped her chin on Luke's chest and smiled up at him.

He raised his eyes heavenward.

"What?" she laughed.

"You're proud of yourself, aren't you?"

Lorelai smiled to herself.

"It was busy down there!" Luke told her. "Cesar and Lane are probably being overrun."

"I didn't do anything!" Lorelai protested, giving him her most innocent pout.

"Right," Luke choked.

"Can I help it that you can't control your urges?"

"Lorelai, you cornered me in the stockroom!"

"So?"

"So, what if Lane had to come in there to get something?"

"Like what?" Lorelai purred. "You stock the diner every morning."

"We still run out of things! Hence, the need to have the stockroom close by."

"Hence?" Lorelai snorted.

Luke sighed.

"Okay, if that's how you really feel…" she trailed off.

"You couldn't have waited until tonight?" he asked her.

"Well, then we'd do it in our bed, and what fun is that?" She grinned up at him, her eyes sparkling.

"Oh, I think it could be fun," he growled. Lorelai giggled and ducked under the covers.

Half an hour later, they were more dishevelled than they were before, and Luke rolled out of bed to get away from her before the whole day was a write-off.

"Okay, I'll see you later," he told her, heading for the bathroom.

"Hey, if you're taking a shower, we should conserve water," she called after him.

"Lorelai!"

She laughed and curled up in the spot he had just left in bed and snuggled against the pillow. When she heard the shower start, she closed her eyes and drifted off.

Ten minutes later, a dripping Luke stood over her.

"Your turn," he told her. Lazily, Lorelai opened her eyes and gazed up at him.

"You're wet," she whispered.

"Yes. That typically happens in the shower."

Lorelai sat up and reached for him and before he had a chance to react, she had pulled him on top of her. She kissed along his neck and slid her tongue over his Adam's apple.

"Lorelai…" Luke groaned his objection.

"You smell so good."

He laughed and pulled back just a fraction to look into her eyes. "We'll continue this when I get home."

"Now works fine for me," she told him.

"I bet it doesn't work for Michel."

"Who?" Lorelai asked.

"He's probably throwing a temper tantrum," Luke warned her.

Lorelai rolled her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. "Fine. But you're not getting off that easily, Mister. I'll meet you in the bathroom at home."

Luke chuckled and tugged on her hand, pulling her out of the bed.

"Go," he said firmly, gently steering her towards the bathroom. When she had shut the door behind her, he made his escape.

* * *

As it turned out, Luke was the first home, and he started diner while he waited for Lorelai. When she wasn't home by the time that it was done, he wrapped it up and dialled the inn.

"Dragonfly Inn," she answered and he could hear the exhaustion in her voice.

"This is what you get for slacking off this afternoon," he teased her.

"Ugh," she whined. "Michel got sick in the middle of the afternoon, and I can't get anyone else in until eleven. I'm sorry, I should have called, but I haven't had two minutes to myself since I got back."

"It's okay,' he said softly. "Do you need me to come pick you up when you're done?"

"No, I'll be okay," she promised him. "I know you have to open tomorrow, so you don't have to wait up."

"I'll wait up," he told her.

"It's fine," she said again.

"I made dinner for you, and I'll be up to sit with you," he said firmly. "I'll see you soon."

"Not soon enough," Lorelai complained.

They hung up and Luke considered going to the garage to work on the boat until Lorelai got home, but decided that he probably wouldn't hear her pull in, so he sat on the couch and turned the T.V. on, flipping idly through the channels.

"Fifty-seven channels and nothing on," he muttered. He tossed the remote control onto the seat beside him and closed his eyes.

The next thing he knew, he heard the key in the lock and jumped up from his seat to find Lorelai coming in the door. She dropped her bag just inside of it and let her shoulders sag.

Luke chuckled softly. "Oh, honey."

She walked towards him in a daze and he took her in his arms and kissed her temple softly.

"Come on," he told her and led her into the kitchen where he put her food in the oven to heat. He sat her in the nearest chair and then took the one beside her, cradling her hands in his.

"I don't think he was sick," Lorelai complained bitterly. "I think he was getting back at me for leaving him alone this afternoon."

Luke suppressed a smile. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, Michel will be the one who is sorry."

When the food was warm, Luke sat across from her and listened to her talk about her day. She ate only a little, claiming that she was too exhausted to eat.

"Just want bed," she mumbled, her eyelids heavy.

He chuckled and kissed her forehead.

"Stay here."

"Oh, don't worry about that!" she told him. "I couldn't move if I wanted to."

Luke left her there and ran upstairs to draw a bath. Then he helped her up the stairs and once they were in the bathroom, he helped her undress.

"Oh, baby," she sighed. "This is really great, but there's just no way. I can't see straight."

Luke smiled gently. "It's not always about sex, Lorelai."

She looked at him uncertainly and he shrugged and turned a little pink.

"Just let me take care of you?" he requested.

Lorelai was rendered speechless and nodded mutely, allowing Luke to help her into the bath, where he washed her hair and washed her skin clean. Lorelai sagged against his arm that was holding her up and when she was clean, he helped her from the bath, drying her with a soft, fluffy towel before helping her into her pajamas. They made it to the bed and Luke sat beside her and pulled a comb gently through her hair.

"Do you want me to dry it?"

Lorelai shook her head sleepily.

"Can't stay awake. It'll be a disaster tomorrow, but I'll be awake then. Maybe."

Luke laughed softly and Lorelai eased down into the bed. Luke left her for a minute to change and when he came back, she was already asleep. He got into bed and turned the light off, cradling her against him, and kissing her shoulder softly. The rhythm of her breathing soon lulled him to sleep and the last thing he was aware of was the smile on her lips.


	10. Chapter 10

Lorelai awoke groggily the next morning and turned her head to find Luke sleeping peacefully beside her. She smiled softly as she recalled how he'd cared for her last night and she gently kissed his forehead.

He shifted slightly and opened his eyes.

"Good morning," she whispered.

He looked surprised.

"What?" Lorelai laughed.

"You're never this cheery in the morning."

"I had a wonderful sleep," she told him.

Luke's eyes widened with alarm.

"What time is it?" he asked, flinging his arm out to the side in the direction of the alarm clock.

Lorelai squinted into the light and shrugged.

"I dunno. Maybe ten or eleven?"

"No!"

"What's wrong?" She rolled towards him. "The diner's open isn't it?"

"No!"

"Luke!" Lorelai sat up in bed.

"Almost twenty years of running that diner," he muttered, getting out of bed and heading towards the shower. "I've never been late opening it."

"Except when you went fishing that time," Lorelai reminded him.

"But that's different! There was a sign on the door!"

Lorelai bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. It really wasn't funny, she chided herself.

"I don't even have time for a shower," Luke complained. He shut the bathroom door and she could hear the running water as he washed and brushed his teeth. He emerged a minute later looking sheepish.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to snap at you."

Lorelai shook her head. "You didn't. It's fine. I'm sorry; I should have set the alarm clock."

"You were asleep before you even got into bed last night," Luke said. "Don't worry about it. I should go."

He moved towards the bed and dropped a kiss into her hair.

"I'll see you later."

"Probably about an hour," Lorelai called after him. "I'm starving."

"I'm not surprised," Luke called back, and she was happy to hear the mild amusement back in his voice.

**

* * *

**

The tables were full by the time that Lorelai arrived at the diner, so she sat at the counter and tapped her nails against the Formica until Luke noticed her.

"Hey," he greeted her, stopping momentarily to brush her lips with his.

"Can I get a refill over here?" someone called from the corner.

"Yeah, hang on," he told the customer. He turned back to Lorelai.

"So, last night…"

"I'm sorry about that," she apologized. "I ruined your dinner."

"No, you didn't."

"No, I didn't," she agreed. "Michel did. I'm going to squash him like a bug when I see him."

"He might have really been sick," Luke suggested.

She rolled her eyes in response and Luke shrugged. "Okay. I just wanted to let you know that you still owe me." He said this under his breath and did so in a way that made her shiver. She made the mistake of making eye contact with him and had to look away.

"I've created a monster," she whispered and Luke grinned in response.

"Coffee?" the same customer asked again impatiently and Luke rolled his eyes.

"Coming!"

"Am I serving myself?" she asked him.

"Don't touch anything!" he growled, but she noticed that he purposely looked away when she lifted the lid on the pastries and helped herself.

She stayed until she decided that he was too busy to pay much attention to her and then she waved at him from the door and headed to work.

The inn was quiet when she got there, which immediately made her suspicious and she snuck into the kitchen, catching most of her staff off-guard, gathered around a tiny television screen.

"What's going on?" she asked over a waiter's shoulder.

"Bottom of the eighth," he hushed her.

"Great, that means it'll be over soon and all of you can get back to work!"

A few people jumped when they realized that the boss was in the room, but Lorelai just rolled her eyes.

"We have guests," she reminded them.

"They're watching the game in their rooms."

"Fine, but I'm sure they'll want snacks and all sorts of things. Break's over."

A few people complained, but went back to work and Lorelai sat down in front of the tiny screen.

Michel looked at her in surprised, but she ignored him.

"Luke taught me about it," she shrugged.

"Ah, yes. The flannel man."

"Feeling better, Michel?" she asked him brightly.

"Maybe," he shrugged.

"Well, get better in a hurry." She stood up, pulling herself to her full height. "I have plans tonight, and you will be here until your shift is over."

"Fine," Michel grumbled.

"Any messages?" she asked him.

"Oh, I am sorry," he said without conviction. "I did not realize I was supposed to take personal messages for you."

"Michel," she threatened him.

"Oh, fine," he sighed melodramatically. "Your mother keeps calling."

"I told you just to ignore those."

He shrugged. "I'm just the messenger."

"Right," she said. "Okay."

Shaking her head, she went into her office and sank into the chair. There was a stack of message on her desk, all bearing the same message from the same person.

Well, at least she knew she came by her stubborn streak honestly.


	11. Chapter 11

The phone calls had stopped for a while, after she'd told her mother in no uncertain terms that she should stay out of their lives.

She got the impression that Emily had been making Rory feel guilty about the gulf between them, but Rory didn't complain, so she wasn't entirely sure.

The phone calls had probably started again now that her parents were aware that Rory was seeing Logan Huntzberger. Still, Lorelai reasoned, that was Rory's deal, not hers. With a heavy sigh, she collapsed into the chair behind her desk and tossed the pink scraps of paper containing Emily's messages into the wastebasket at her feet.

Her office phone rang and she glared at it suspiciously for a moment before picking it up.

"Hello?" she asked cautiously.

"Hi." His voice instantly made her smile.

"Hi," she breathed.

"Who were you expecting to call?" he laughed, detecting the relief in her voice.

Lorelai shook her head. "Nobody," she told him.

"Is Michel there?" Luke asked.

"Yes. He's lucky!"

Luke laughed.

"Well, I have bad news. Cesar seems to have caught whatever it was that Michel had and I'm going to have to close the diner tonight."

"Oh Luke, no," Lorelai moaned.

"I'm sorry. Why don't you come by when you're done there? I can feed you at least."

"I can feed myself," Lorelai declared.

Luke snorted. "Poptarts?"

"My specialty," Lorelai chuckled.

"I'm going to have to teach you how to cook sometime," Luke threatened her.

"Why?" Lorelai asked. "That's what I have you for."

"That's all I'm good for?" he challenged her.

"Well, maybe not _all_." Lorelai dropped her voice to a whisper, even though she was alone.

"Alright," Luke said. "I'll see you later. Is there anything special that you want?"

"Dinner upstairs? You serving me with your 'Kiss the cook' apron, and nothing else?"

"I don't have a 'Kiss the cook' apron," Luke said dryly.

"Exactly," Lorelai chuckled.

"Bye," Luke said.

"Bye."

* * *

The diner was nearly empty when Lorelai arrived later that evening, prompting her to beg him to close early. 

"I opened late," he reminded her.

"For a good reason. And you'll be closing early for a good reason, too."

Luke hid a smile. "Lorelai, as much as I'd love to spend every waking minute with you, I have a business to run and so do you."

Lorelai pouted.

"If it stays quiet for another hour, I'll close," he sighed.

"Half an hour," Lorelai bargained.

"Fine. But don't sit there looking at me with your puppy dog eyes."

"How about my bedroom eyes?" she teased him.

"Lorelai!"

"Okay, okay," she laughed.

When Kirk neared the door, Lorelai glared at him from the spot where she sat at the counter and he turned pink and backed away from the door.

"Lorelai," Luke barked. "Kirk was going to come in."

"It's _Kirk_," she reasoned. "Do you really want him pestering you?"

"Was he going to pay me?" Luke retorted.

Lorelai shrugged. "Probably."

"Then I probably wanted him pestering me."

She looked at him in disbelief until he caved.

"Okay, maybe not. But you can't sit there and glare at anybody who wants to come in."

"But we'll be able to go home," Lorelai whined.

"Okay, upstairs."

"Ooh!"

"No, you're going to wait for me there while I finish up here." He untwisted the cap on a sugar dispenser and filled it.

"I'll be good," Lorelai promised gravely. "I actually wanted to talk to you about something."

"You mean you'll talk, I'll listen?"

"Well, yes," Lorelai laughed.

"Okay."

Lorelai took a breath, searching for the words. Luke glanced at her with concern when she didn't start rambling immediately.

"My mom has been leaving me messages," Lorelai confessed. "It had stopped for awhile, after she came to the diner that day, but now…"

Luke didn't say anything, but she noticed that his shoulders tensed and he was concentrating on the sugar.

"Do you want to call her?" he finally asked.

She caught his gaze and held it.

"No. I want her to understand that I'm serious about everything that I said to her. You and I are a non-negotiable, Luke."

"I know that," he told her softly.

She sighed. "I'm just tired of the phone calls."

"So talk to her."

"I don't have anything to say to her."

Luke caught her hands and squeezed them.

"Lorelai, you have a million things to say to your mother."

"Nothing that she wants to hear," she said bitterly.

"Which is exactly why you have to say them."

"I don't even know if she knows that we've moved in together."

"She knows."

"Rory?" Lorelai guessed.

"She called the other day," Luke told her. "Before you got home."

Lorelai's eyes locked on his.

"You didn't say anything," she said non-accusingly.

"I thought it might upset you. I figured she'd been calling you at the inn, but she seemed surprised when I answered the phone."

"It's none of their business, Luke. That's why I didn't tell them."

"Okay." His voice was quiet and even.

"You think I should have told them?"

"I think this is your decision. I'll support you, you know that."

"But you think that I should have told them," Lorelai repeated, her voice flat.

"I think it put both of us in an uncomfortable position," Luke said. He sighed. "Lorelai, I know how upset and angry you are right now, but I know that you love them and --."

"That doesn't matter," she cut him off.

"Of course it matters."

"No, Luke." She shook her head. "It mattered to you. It mattered in your family. It's the last consideration in mine."

She gathered her bag and started towards the door.

"Hey, I'm almost done," he told her.

"I'll meet you at home," she said, and was gone.


	12. Chapter 12

Luke trailed Lorelai home by a mere matter of minutes, so that she'd barely taken her coat off when he came in behind her.

"It matters in our family," he said quietly so that she blinked and asked him to repeat what he'd said.

"It matters," he said, pulling her towards him. "Loving people matters, Lorelai. If it didn't, you wouldn't have run out of the diner a few minutes ago. It matters to you, and it matters to me. You broke up with Jason because you love your family."

Lorelai set her jaw stubbornly.

"That was a long time ago. And I didn't just break up with Jason because of my family."

"You didn't?" Luke asked doubtfully.

Lorelai hesitated. "I knew it wasn't right, Luke. I knew that he and I weren't right." She brushed the topic aside. "Jason isn't the point. What my family did to you – what my mother did to us – was inexcusable."

"But you miss her."

Lorelai avoided his eyes.

"What I've wanted has never mattered," she muttered, turning to walk away from him.

He caught her by the arm.

"Are you going to keep running away from this?" he asked softly.

"Luke, please!" she begged him.

"Lorelai, you can put on a brave face for the rest of the world. You don't have to with me."

Lorelai didn't comment. She crossed her arms in front of herself and studied the ground.

"Lorelai…" He tipped her chin up and made her meet his eyes.

"Please," she whispered.

"Baby," he whispered back. He wouldn't break the gaze.

Lorelai's chin trembled and he pulled her close, letting her hide her face against his shoulder as he stroked her hair and held her tight.

"I'm so tired of fighting with her," she mumbled against his shoulder. "I just want to be able to live my life."

"I know." He waited for her to compose herself and when she pulled back, he smiled reassuringly at her.

"Maybe you should just talk to her," he suggested.

"Why?" Lorelai asked stubbornly.

"Because," he sighed. He took her hand in his and led her over to the couch. They sat down together and he kept her hand in his, stroking it with his thumb. "You wouldn't be forgiving her for her, honey. You'd be doing it for you. You need to get past this."

Lorelai shook her head. "I'm tired of trying so hard, Luke. I'm never going to be the daughter that she wants. I don't want to be that woman."

"You don't have to be," he told her.

Lorelai stared at him in disbelief.

"No. You don't understand. If I go back to her now, she'll think she's won. She'll think that if she pushes hard enough, or guilts me long enough, I'll back down. The second that happens, she has the upper hand, Luke. She'll never stay out of our relationship."

"Are you planning on giving up on us?" he asked her quietly. Lorelai's eyes rounded and she shook her head.

"No! Absolutely not!"

He smiled reassuringly. "Good. Neither am I. As long as we remain open and honest with each other, there's nothing Emily can do to us."

"The only way I can have a relationship with her is on my terms," Lorelai said firmly.

Luke nodded.

"She won't go for that."

"She has to, Lorelai. You're holding all the cards now."

She considered this in silence for a few minutes before turning to him.

"Thank you," she said simply.

His brow furrowed. "For what?"

"For saying what you did earlier, about how it matters to this family." She blinked rapidly and he squeezed her hand.

"I just want you to consider it, Lorelai. For your sake, not hers."

She frowned.

"Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think that there comes a point where you have to cut your losses? Maybe my mother and I have reached that point."

He reflected on this for a moment before he spoke.

"Do you think you're there?" he asked in response.

Lorelai chewed on her bottom lip.

"I don't know if I can do this for the rest of my life, Luke."

He nodded grimly. "You know what's right for you, Lorelai. You should know, though, that forgiveness doesn't mean that you have to welcome her back with open arms."

Lorelai nodded.

"I used to wish that I'd find out that I was adopted," she reflected wistfully. Luke pulled her against him and they slid down until they were lying together on the sofa.

"I wished that I'd find out that I was really the maid's daughter," she laughed. "Or my nanny. She was strict, but she'd sit with me when I was sick, and she'd tell me stories and sing to me."

Luke wordlessly stroked her hair.

She looked up at him.

"They didn't abuse me, Luke. It wasn't like that. But I hardly knew them. My mother would give these lavish parties for some charity foundation or another, and I'd be left home with the staff. Then, when they came home, my mom would come into my room before she went to bed. I'd keep my eyes closed, but I could smell her perfume, and she'd just stand there for a minute, and then she'd mutter about whatever toys I'd left lying around. She'd turn out my light and go to bed, and then in the morning, I'd get ready for my day and not see her until tea time, because she stayed in bed all morning due to exhaustion from the endless parties."

Lorelai sighed heavily and closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry. You don't want to hear all this."

"Yes, I do," he said patiently and firmly. "I'm listening, Lorelai."

Her heart swelled at his words, and she fought to keep her emotions in check.

"I always thought that when I grew up, we'd finally grow together. At least a little bit." She paused. "It never occurred to me that we'd grow further apart."

"I'm sorry," Luke told her sincerely.

"Tell me about your family," she whispered urgently.

Luke smiled.

"I've told you before."

"Tell me again," she said, and opened her eyes. They were bright with anticipation and Luke couldn't say no to her.

"I miss them," he sighed. "More now than I ever have, maybe."

Lorelai turned her head to look at him.

"Why?"

Luke shrugged.

"I think maybe they'd know what to say in a situation like this."

"You know what to say," Lorelai whispered.

He shook his head. "I can't fix it for you, Lorelai. I can't heal it." Gently, he placed his hand over her heart.

"Oh, Luke. " She lifted her head and kissed him urgently. "You have no idea, do you?"

He didn't reply.

"I love you."

"I love you, too," he whispered hoarsely.

"Do you know how important that is for me?" she asked him.

He nodded.

"Yeah, I think I do."


	13. Chapter 13

He knew exactly how important it was. Having Lorelai in his life healed things that he hadn't really admitted were still broken.

He'd tried so hard with Jess, and it had taken a long time for him to understand why he hadn't been willing to give up on his nephew. Of course, subconsciously, Luke knew that he was trying to recreate a family he'd lost long ago.

Jess hadn't known that family, and hadn't wanted any part of the life that Luke had tried to offer him. Jess not wanting it didn't change the fact that Luke did want it.

Luke wasn't demanding: he had his diner and a few good friends. After his parents died, the town adopted him as their own son, even though he was nearly an adult. Yet, somewhere in the back of his mind, he was aware of the desire for a family.

He was fully aware of the irony when he complained about jam hands.

It took him a long time to admit to himself that he was in love with Lorelai Gilmore; it took him longer to admit that she was the one whom he wanted a family with.

When they came together, he had something of a ready-made family. It seemed so simple. He loved Lorelai, and he adored her daughter. He thought it was mutual (but would never admit it; doing so would be presumptuous).

Yes, he understood exactly how important it was to Lorelai that he loved her.

* * *

The diner was packed with demanding customers, so Lorelai was forced to take a number when she came in at the beginning of the dinner rush. 

"I'm going," she announced when Luke had a moment to breathe.

"Going?" he asked absently, filling a mug for her.

"To go, please," she requested. He shook his head took back the mug.

"It's Friday night," she said quietly.

Luke blinked.

"Okay," he said slowly.

He realized what she was getting at and groaned.

"Hey, you encouraged it!"

"You don't want me to go with you, do you?" he asked fearfully.

Lorelai shook her head quickly.

"Oh, no! No, Luke. I wouldn't do that to you."

He breathed a sigh of relief and then looked at her with concern.

"Are you okay?"

Lorelai shrugged.

"Why? Do I look that bad?" She attempted a smile.

"You look nervous."

"It's been awhile."

"I imagine that they were surprised to hear from you."

Lorelai studied the counter.

"I didn't tell them that I was coming."

"You're going unannounced?" Luke raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"I wanted some room to breathe in case I chickened out."

"Ah." He handed her the take-out cup of coffee and reached for her hand, squeezing it sympathetically. Then he took a deep breath.

"Are you sure that you don't want me to come with you?"

"Yes," she answered without hesitation. "Things could get really ugly tonight, and you've had more than your fair share of Gilmore ugliness."

"Yeah, but I also get my share of the beautiful."

"Keep talking like that and I'll make other plans for tonight," she winked at him.

He laughed.

"Go."

She nodded.

"Am I meeting you at home?"

"I'll probably still be here," he sighed.

"Okay. Then I'll be here as soon as I can get out of there."

"It's been months, Lorelai. They might not let you out of there."

She held up her cell phone.

"If I'm not back by nine, the inn is on fire. Right?"

"I don't think they'd believe that could happen to you twice in one lifetime," Luke laughed.

"Make something up," she pleaded.

"Good luck," he said softly as she picked up her things and leaned across the counter to kiss him.

Their lips brushed and Lorelai closed her eyes.

"I love you," he told her.

She smiled and pulled away.

* * *

The only consolation was that Rory would be there with her. She'd told Rory of her plans, but had begged her daughter to keep quiet in case she changed her mind halfway to Hartford. 

Rory's car was already in the driveway when Lorelai pulled up in front of the house. She let the Jeep idle for a moment before she took a deep breath and cut the engine. Her heels clicked on the sidewalk as she made her way to the door and she stood there for a long moment before ringing the bell.

The maid didn't recognize her and she certainly didn't recognize the maid. She smiled at her, but kept her coat, still fighting the instinct to flee.

"Who in the world is at the door?" came Emily's voice from the living room. "It's time for dinner."

She appeared in the foyer and Lorelai watched her face register shock and then fear, followed by the tiniest glimmer of triumph. It was that brief glimmer that almost caused her to turn and leave.

"Lorelai," her mother said.

"Mom."

"What are you doing here?" Emily was never one to beat around the bush.

Lorelai gave her a nervous smile.

"It's Friday night, isn't it?"

"Yes," Emily said coolly. "However, we were only expecting Rory for dinner."

"Oh," Lorelai said. "Of course. I, uh, I thought that maybe I could join you for drinks beforehand."

Emily didn't blink.

"It's okay," Lorelai said quickly. "Never mind. I was just on my way back to Stars Hollow anyway. I thought I'd stop in, but I'll just go." She turned back towards the door.

"Well, there's no sense now. Just join us, Lorelai."

Lorelai hesitated.

"Isn't that diner man with you?"

Lorelai made a face.

"He has a name, mother," she said in a firm voice.

Emily's mouth twitched.

"Luke," she finally said. "Luke isn't with you?"

"He had to work," Lorelai said. Technically, it was true.

"Yes, I suppose," Emily sniffed.

"You know what?" Lorelai said, stiffening. "This was a bad idea. I'm going to go."

"Mom?" Rory called from the other room.

Emily raised an eyebrow.

"Say hello, at the very least," she instructed her daughter.

Lorelai sighed and stepped into the other room.

"Lorelai!" Richard Gilmore said with surprise.

"Hi Dad," she said.

"Well, this is a surprise," he said.

"I'm not staying long," she told him, and avoided Rory's eyes.

"Oh. I see."

"I was just in the neighbourhood," she lied. "I thought I'd stop in and say hello. So… hello."

Her dad looked at her blankly.

"Stay for a drink, at least," Richard said.

"Oh, I can't. I have to be somewhere."

"He can't spend a few hours without you?" Emily muttered under her breath, just loudly enough so that only Lorelai would hear.

"See, that's _exactly_ why…" Lorelai said. "I'm sorry, Dad. Rory, I'll call you later. Goodnight."

She left the room.

Emily was immediately behind her.

"Run away, Lorelai," she admonished her. "It's what you do best."

"Yes. And you're very good at opening the door," Lorelai retorted.

But when she left, she opened it herself.

* * *

**A/N: **_Just a reply to the feedback... I had the same reservations that some of you had about having Luke use pet names like "honey" or "baby" for Lorelai, but I decided that it might be like one of the many things we don't see on the show. Also, it's always seemed to me that Luke has a soft spot when it comes to Lorelai, and she sees many facets of his personality that most people don't. So in that respect, I think it was still in character. If not, this is a fantasy version of Luke (not that he needed to be much improved). Second, as far as having the show pre-empt my creativity, I believe it. I've had it happen. But I've already finished this story and am now primarily in the editing stages, so there's no fear of that happening. We still have some way to go, so thank you for reading and please keeping reviewing. _  



	14. Chapter 14

Lorelai stopped at the end of the driveway and swiped at her eyes angrily.

"Damn it!" she muttered, angry with herself for expecting that somehow, her going there would be accepted as a peace offering, and she and her mother would be able to take a tiny step towards that peace.

Lorelai turned out of the driveway and started away from the house, but stopped less than a block away and parked under a huge elm tree. She closed her eyes and tried hard to control her breathing, as well as the tears that were burning her eyes.

She fought with herself until she regained control, and then she considered her options. She could go back to Stars Hollow, but it was still early and she didn't know if she could handle seeing the disappointment on Luke's face.

Lorelai knew that the disappointment would only be because he wanted this for her sake; that he wanted her and Emily to mend fences because he knew that despite everything that had happened, she still loved her mother. Where they disagreed was the depth of Emily's feelings for Lorelai. Luke argued that Emily loved her in her own way, even if that love was often hurtful. Lorelai, on the other hand, maintained that her mother was out to destroy any happiness that Lorelai found for herself, and her interference in Luke and Lorelai's relationship had only proven that.

Still, she'd agreed to try. She hadn't admitted it to him, but she was doing it for Luke, because it seemed to be so important to him. A tiny part of her wanted to believe him, too. She wanted him to be right about Emily's love for her.

Going back to Stars Hollow now would mean facing something that she wasn't sure she was ready to face.

So Lorelai drove. She circled the neighbourhood that she had grown up in, stopping in front of each huge mansion and recalling all the misery that lay within its walls. Despite the affluence and privilege here, there was little real happiness. It made Lorelai sad and she checked her watch several times to determine if it was late enough for her to return to Stars Hollow.

When she finally started home, she was exhausted and pulled in front of Luke's and then just sat in the Jeep for a moment.

He was putting the chairs up on the tables when she entered.

"Hi," he smiled at her. "How was dinner?"

Lorelai hesitated and Luke paused.

She turned away and walked behind the counter to pour herself a cup of coffee that Luke had left.

"You didn't stay for dinner, did you?" he asked quietly.

Lorelai avoided his eyes.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "Not really."

She stole a glance at him. He was watching her quietly, his expression unreadable.

"I don't know what to say," she told him softly. Luke frowned, and Lorelai looked down at the coffee cup.

"I'm sorry," she apologized in a tiny voice.

"Why are you apologizing to me?" he asked with wonder.

Lorelai shrugged. "You wanted me to fix things, and I think I just made more of a mess."

Luke approached her and came behind the counter to stand next to her. He reached for her hands and squeezed them reassuringly.

"Lorelai, you went. I can't quite believe you did that. I'm proud of you."

The tears that she'd kept at bay earlier sprung forth again.

"I'm not very proud of myself."

"What happened?" he asked with concern.

Lorelai shook her head. There was no point in burdening Luke with the exchange that she and her mother had about him.

"I just think that there's too much water under the bridge."

Luke was quiet.

"I just want to go home," Lorelai sighed. "Can we do that, please? Can we just go home?"

He nodded. "Yes, of course. Just give me a few minutes?"

Lorelai nodded and sat at the counter while Luke finished up. She could have gone ahead of him, she knew, but she needed to go home with him tonight.

* * *

When they reached the house, Luke pushed her up the stairs and drew a bath for her, adding bubble bath until the water was full of bubbles and the scent of lilacs. 

"Come on," he coerced her, tugging her shirt up over her head and off. The rest of her clothing soon followed and she slipped into the warm water and lay back. Luke sat on the floor beside her and when she closed her eyes, he spoke softly to her.

"I owe you an apology," he told her.

Lorelai opened her eyes and started to protest.

"No, I do," he insisted. "I wanted you to have what I had, but you didn't have my parents, Lorelai. I can't give you that. I wanted you to know that kind of love."

Lorelai sat up and reached for his hand.

"I do."

Luke smiled at her. "You do," he agreed. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "But that's not what I meant."

"I know."

"It amazes me," he told her.

"What?"

"That your relationship with Rory is so good. You're such an amazing mother."

"Well, I have a pretty amazing kid," Lorelai smiled fondly.

Luke shook his head. "You do, but it's you, Lorelai. You make her feel loved unconditionally. Rory's a good kid, yes. But any child of yours would feel that love. Our children will."

There was a sudden heavy silence and Luke's cheeks burned. He cleared his throat and looked away.

"I mean, you know…" he trailed off.

Lorelai smiled, feeling thrilled that it had even crossed his mind.

"I know," she reassured him softly.

He looked up sheepishly.

"Have you thought about it?"

"Children?"

Luke nodded.

"Sometimes." Now it was her turn to avoid his eyes. She hesitated. "But that's in the future, right?" She turned her head to look at him again, and he nodded quickly.

"We're happy like this, aren't we?" he wondered.

"I'm happy," she agreed.

"Me too." He kissed her. "Why don't you relax for a bit, and I'll make us something for dinner? You must be starving."

"Well, I didn't eat in Hartford," she laughed.

"Okay. Cheeseburger?"

"Have I told you lately that I love you?"

"It's only because you've had a hard day," he warned her. He got up from the floor.

"Maybe we could eat later?" Lorelai murmured, glancing up at him from beneath heavy eyelids.

Luke laughed. "You're going to need your energy," he said suggestively and left her there wondering just what he had in mind.


	15. Chapter 15

When the water turned cold, Lorelai climbed out of the bath, and wrapped her robe around herself. She followed the aroma of whatever Luke was making for dinner down the stairs, and found him in the kitchen, setting everything on a tray.

"Hey, you were supposed to stay up there," he chided her.

Lorelai laughed.

"My stomach was growling."

"Okay," he sighed and started bringing the food over to the table.

"If you want to serve me in bed, I won't argue," Lorelai grinned.

"Eat," Luke instructed. She laughed and sat down. While Lorelai ate dinner, Luke sat with her and told her about his day. They avoided talking about what had happened at her parent's house. When Lorelai was finished eating, she led him into the living room and they sat together on the couch. Lorelai closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder.

Wordlessly, he stroked her hair and after a few minutes, she felt him push her forward and knead her shoulders.

"Oh, good," she murmured, letting her head drop forward.

"It was something about me, wasn't it?" Luke asked quietly. Lorelai opened her eyes and turned her head to look at him.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" she asked him. "For being you? That's their objection, Luke. You aren't who they wanted for me." She frowned.

"I'm not Chris," Luke stated.

"Thank God," Lorelai told him seriously. "Luke, if I wanted to be with Chris, I'd be with Chris. You know that, right?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "I know. We've talked about this a lot. That doesn't change the fact that he's who your mother would choose for you, and there's nothing I can do about that."

"I don't think that's it, really," Lorelai objected.

"So anyone except me, huh?" Luke winked, but his tone was serious.

"Does it help that I don't want anyone except you?" she asked him.

"Yes," he smiled as he leaned forward to kiss her.

"You and Rory are my family," she told him sincerely. He pulled back and just gazed at her.

Lorelai held her breath as the thought crossed her mind that they had reached a sort of crossroads. She had to admit to herself that she wanted more than the arrangement that they currently had. Now that their conversation had taken this turn, it occurred to Lorelai that Luke could have thought about it, too.

"I love you," he told her softly. He pulled her against him.

His fingers worked over the tense muscles in her shoulders and then along her back and Lorelai moaned softly.

"Wow," he whispered. "Relax, Lorelai."

She exhaled and closed her eyes as Luke continued to work the muscles with his fingers, kneading out the knots.

"I hate that she does this to you," he told her. "I hate that she doesn't see what I see."

"What's that?" Lorelai asked softly.

"You," he stated simply. Lorelai smiled at this and he elaborated.

"I wish she would see this woman. She's pretty amazing."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. She's incredibly strong. She's an excellent mother, a beautiful woman, and an incredible friend. She's my best friend."

These words Luke murmured against her neck and Lorelai shivered.

"She's built her own life. She has a business of her own, a home of her own." He paused. "Lorelai, you've accomplished so much, really. Even if she's not proud of you, there are a lot of people who are. Everyone in this town adores you and is so incredibly proud of you. Your daughter thinks that the sun and the moon revolve around you."

Lorelai turned to him.

"And you?"

"You know how I feel about you," he said evenly.

Lorelai grinned.

"So you did pine over me?"

Luke snorted.

Lorelai opened her eyes and smiled at him.

"How long?"

"What?"

"How long did you want me for?"

"Lorelai…"

"When was the first time that you wanted to kiss me?"

He sighed.

"I don't know. I don't remember."

"Ah, so it's been awhile?"

"Well, it had been awhile for me," he said dryly.

Lorelai giggled.

"Well, maybe we should make up for lost time," she smiled suggestively. She slid her hand along his jean-clad thigh and Luke groaned.

"Let's go upstairs," she whispered. "I'd like to salvage something pleasant from this evening."

Lorelai stood and held her hand out to him. Hand in hand, they climbed the stairs, and when they reached the bedroom, Lorelai started to undress him.

"Do you want to know what I love about you?" she asked him.

Luke smirked as she tugged the t-shirt he wore beneath the flannel up over his head and let it drop to the floor.

"I can guess."

Lorelai giggled. "Well, yes. There's that."

"How did I know?"

"I love how kind and generous you are," she said seriously, unfastening the snap on his jeans and easing the zipper down.

"Don't let anyone know that," he warned her.

Lorelai laughed. "I think that it's too late."

He reached forward and tugged on the tie of her robe and it fell open, exposing her creamy flesh to him. He gently parted the robe and stroked her stomach with his fingertips. She quivered slightly and stepped closer to him.

When she spoke again, her voice was husky.

"I love your heart," she told him. "You let me see it, and that's such an amazing gift. You accept me like nobody else ever has. You love me like nobody else ever has. I can't believe that we're us. I can't believe that we almost missed this."

Luke silently took her hands in his and brought them to his lips. He kissed each finger in turn and then led her over to the bed. He finished undressing and then removed her robe. They lay down together and were soon tangled together, lips exploring, fingers stroking, gazes locked.

They took turns exploring each other's body, patiently enjoying each other. Luke's stubble scratched Lorelai's soft skin, but the feeling was the opposite of painful. When she was almost delirious, he slid a finger deep inside of her, setting off the first of her orgasms this way and when she came back to him, she returned the favour, sliding down the bed to take him into her mouth as her fingers stroked and squeezed him gently. Luke was unable to resist and came without warning, then spent long minutes apologizing. Lorelai hushed him by kissing him deeply and guiding him to her. He pushed inside her and they stilled for a moment, reveling in each other. Lorelai pushed against him first, urging him to move and they encouraged each other.

Neither was sure who gave in first, but when they had slowed and then finally stopped moving, they were in sync with each other. Lorelai was filled with wonder at how she had gone from one extreme to the other, from judgment to unconditional love.


	16. Chapter 16

"Was that desert?"

Luke chuckled at Lorelai's question and kissed the top of her head.

"Something like that, yeah."

"Thank you," she whispered, and settled against him. She started to fall asleep, but Luke felt restless and when he had determined that she had drifted off, he pulled his arm free of her and rolled out of bed.

Luke dressed quickly and slipped out of the bedroom, closing the door softly behind him. Downstairs, he cleaned up the dishes from dinner and then went out to the porch.

There were no clouds tonight, and above him, the sky sparkled with stars. Luke sat on the porch swing and tilted his head up to gaze at them, but his mind was crowded with a million thoughts and he sighed heavily.

"Lorelai, sugar?" came Babette's voice across the lawn.

Luke cursed his luck. He didn't mind Babette, but he had hoped for some time to himself, and now that most certainly wouldn't happen.

"No, it's Luke," he answered.

"Oh, Luke, darlin'. It's a lovely evening, isn't it?"

"It is," he agreed, hoping that she would leave it at that.

"Where's Lorelai this evening?" Babette had crossed the lawn and was coming up the steps of the porch.

"Oh…" Luke cleared his throat. "She's sleeping."

"Already?" Babette looked surprised. She shook her head. "I keep telling that girl she's working too hard. You shouldn't let her work so hard, Luke."

He smiled to himself. "I don't think I could stop her if I tried, Babette."

"And all this nonsense between her and her mother," their neighbor clucked.

Luke shifted uncomfortably. He had no idea how much Lorelai had shared with Babette and he didn't want to divulge private information.

"I think she had to stand up for herself sooner or later," Babette mused. "And what's a better reason than loving you?"

"I don't know," Luke said.

"Of course, she probably feels torn now, what with Rory dating that rich kid. He's a cute one, though. Rory showed me a picture." She grinned proudly.

Luke assumed that she was referring to Logan and nodded noncommittally. He hadn't really paid much attention to who Rory was dating, figuring that she could be trusted to make the right choices for herself.

Even though there had been Jess.

Luke felt a twinge of disloyalty for thinking badly of his nephew, but he also knew that Jess hadn't been good for Rory. Neither had Dean for that matter. He knew that Lorelai worried about the choices that Rory was making now, and he hoped that Lorelai's fears would amount to nothing but that.

"Why would Lorelai feel torn?" he asked Babette.

She shrugged. "I'd imagine Lorelai must have to bite her tongue. It must kill her that Rory is with somebody who comes from a world that Lorelai ran away from herself."

"As long as Rory is happy, that's all that Lorelai wants," Luke said firmly.

"Oh, I know, honey," Babette assured him quickly. "But isn't that why Lorelai agreed to have dinner with her folks tonight?"

"You knew about that?"

"She asked me to come over and help her pick out something to wear."

"Ah." Luke nodded. "Well, I still don't see how that has anything to do with who Rory is dating."

"Oh," Babette went on. "It's not who so much as it that Lorelai might be a little fearful that Rory is attracted by all the glitter."

Luke shook his head.

"That's not Rory."

"Maybe it wasn't Rory, but you didn't see her falling out of that limousine a few months back."

Luke set his jaw. "Lorelai told me about it."

"She really is more worried about that girl than she lets on," Babette sighed. "But you knew that, didn't you?"

Luke didn't reply. He turned his head toward the door.

"I guess I should be calling it a night," he said.

"Oh, right. Right." Babette smiled. "Time for another go, then?"

Luke turned crimson, which Babette noticed, even in the dim light. She cackled.

"Oh, I remember those days. The honeymoon phase, even though the two of you haven't done it up right yet." She looked at him sternly. "Are you ever going to do something about that?"

She didn't wait for an answer. "Anyway, when Morey and I got married, let me tell you! We almost rocked that house off the foundation."

Luke stifled his natural gag reflex, and bid Babette goodnight.

Inside, he locked the doors and started up the stairs, and nearly jumped out of his skin when he almost ran into Lorelai halfway up.

"Babette?" she guessed.

He nodded wearily.

"I heard her say something about her and Morey enjoying their honeymoon," Lorelai giggled.

Luke groaned. "Please. Let's never speak of that again."

Lorelai grinned.

"Poor baby."

"I thought you were asleep." He frowned, wondering how much more Lorelai had overheard.

"I woke up when you got out of bed," she admitted. "What were you doing out there?"

He sighed and followed her back up the stairs.

"Just thinking," he told her as they got back into bed.

She turned to him.

"Oh, yeah? About what?"

"Earlier."

Lorelai frowned. "Luke, I just want to forget that. Please?"

"Why did you suddenly decide to go to dinner at your parents' house?"

She sighed.

"I told you, I knew that it was important to you."

"This wasn't just about me, Lorelai," he said knowingly.

"Okay, then what was it about?" she asked defensively.

"Rory?" He phrased it as a question, so as to not encounter a wall.

"Why Rory?" Lorelai reached over to turn the lamp out, affording her the cover of darkness.

Luke turned the light back on.

"Maybe you feel like she is drawn to that life, and you're afraid of losing her," he guessed.

"That's ridiculous," Lorelai stated.

"Is it?" he questioned her.

She turned out the light again, and he didn't reach across to turn it back on. They lay there in the dark, and it was a long while before either of them fell asleep.


End file.
